Linder v. United States (1925)

At the turn of the century in 1900, the legislative control of illegal drugs in the United States had just begun. The use and abuse of narcotic drugs had become a nationally and internationally recognized social problem and the government was starting to attempt to address the problem.

The Harrison Narcotic Tax Act, enacted in 1914, was the first major federal legislative attempt to control narcotic drugs by requiring the restriction of the sales of narcotic drugs to physicians and registered dealers and requiring the payment of taxes relative to sale of narcotic drugs. The act provided criminal penalties for violation of it, to include fines and imprisonment. There were several important cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court interpreting the Harrison Act. The first of ...